Vulcanizer



R. N. VAN BUSKIRK. VULCANIZER. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 2, 1922.

Patented ,ot. 31, 11922.

ROBERT 1\T. Valli B'SKRK, C-F DETRCT, tfJICTfIG-l.lll7 ASSTLG-lilv TO ll/.GRGAN & VRGHT, A CORPORACON F MICHIGAN.

VULCANZER.

Application filed March 2,

To o-ZZ whom t may concern.:

Be it lrnoujn that l, losnn'r N. VAN BUS- umir, citizen oit the United States, residirej at Detroit. in the county olf vxWayne and S oli llichigan, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in Vulcanizers, ot which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to heaters or vulcauizers tor curing rubber goods and in particular` a press type of vulcanizer largely u` l in the manufacture olf tires.

l ulcanizers heretofore constructed have not been designed to distribute steam or u'ater. `which supplied to them at certain stages in the manuifacturel ot tires, as uni- Yforintv as desirable. lt has been the practo provide a plurality (tour or six) ot inlets, these being formed by drilling or tapping the shell or body portion of the vulcanizer 4at suitable intervals around its girth. rlhe many piping` connections that had to be made very much complicated the layout or' apparatus in a press-room.

The present invention aims to eliminate the many piping connections heretofore employed to supply steam or Water to the interior oli a vulcanizer, by providing a header or channel which is adapted to be simplicd with steam or Water through a single pipe, and which is in restricted communication throughout the entire, or a large part oit, the inner circumference of the vuleauifier so that steam or Water supplied to the header or channel enters into the space occupied hy the molds trom all sides.

lilith the preferred embodiment ot the invention in mind and Without limiting intention. the invention may be said to consist brietly in channeling or coring the top ring at the. mouth ot the shell. so as to constitute il a header, this top riig' being bored inei'nafily al suitable intervalsvn `or blocked, oli' h v balileufing. so as to 'torni a restricted discharge passa insuring supply oli steam oiwater to the interior ot the vulcanizer Vtroni all sides.

lmbodiments ot the invention are illusti'ated in the drawings in Which:-

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, largely in vertical section, ot a preferred construction ot the vulcanizer,

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section ot the same through the header, part of a shell capping ring being shown in place7 1922. Serial No. 540,45.

3 is a vertical section on the line F 2, showing an outside cover drain., and

lire'. el. shows in vertical section a modi- .ln the. drawings l have illustrated the invention. as applied to a French press, a. type ot vulcanizer used exclusively for the curing ot pneuniatic casings. lt consists of an upright steel shell or body portion 1, ur-iually sunk beneath a tloor 2 so as to bring its mouth at a convenient elevation for introducing and removing a plurality of molds il. Sit the top ot the shell l, a ring i is permanently secured, this being usually east vfith L-shaped slots 5 on its upper inner periphery tor the reception of lockingdugs G on a cover 'T having crossing ribs 8 between which and a hydraulically operable platen 9, a plurality ot molds 3 are adapted to be clamped during` a heat. The foregoing ret'crs to the usual or typical construction of a French press.

According to my invention. l provide a header Jfor allowing` steam or Water to be supplied to the vulcanizer all around its inner circumference, or trom a large number ot' points on all sides. ln the preferred torni. this is accomplished by providing the ringl l `(which heretofore has had a smooth evlindrieal inner surface) with an inwardly open groove or channel 10, which :may be made or formed in casting` the ring, this groove or channel being substantially semi- Circular in cross-section and ,partially liloclred olii' or closed by a battle-ring 1l, which is adapted to be supported in any suitable manner, as by being` rested upon the top 'oi' the shell 1, .and which may vhave secured to it a plurality oi guides 12 for axially aligning the curing molds 3. The groove or channel. through a port 13 is iu coiiununication With :i supply line 14: with branches 15 :uid 16 leading respectively to valve controlled steam and Water sources ot supply. Adjacent the port 13, and tor any extent necessary, preferably as shown. in Fig. Q, the baille-ring 1l may have secured to it an arcuate angle 17 for nearly closing the gap between the battle-ring 11 and the contiguous portion ot the cover 7 or ring ll), thereby especially restricting the Jloiv or' fluid into the interior of t` il@ press in the region of the supply-port 18, and insuring circulation of they itluully around the annular channel l0 for distributive flow over the baille-ring into the heater'. More complete closure may be eilected by bending the angle 17 upwardly.

Condensation on the outside of the cover 7 may be drained off through a hole 18 and piping 19. For indicating temperatures and automatically controlling steam, tapped openings 2O may be provided for connection el suitable appliances. For exhausting steam or Water, an exhaust line (not shown) is provided, the connection being made where convenient and suited to the particular facilities for disposing oit the Waste Water, usually low down.

The invention is not limited to the precise details set forth in connection With the preferred construction illustrated in Figs. l, 2 and 3, as the idea of providing a header 'for fiowing the steam or water into the vulcanizer from all sides, in order to minimizepipe connections, may be realized in a variety oft forms and constructions, such, for instance, as shown in Fig. Ll. ln this last mentioned figure, the header is 'formed by a completely closed. annular conduit 2l cored in the shell-ring l and placed in communication with the interior of the press by any suitable number of openings 22. Of course, additional supply lines 14 could be employed if desired and with some advantage over what has been used heretofore. For an understanding` of the scope of the invention, reference is therefore made to the annexed claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

l. A vulcanizing apparatus havingabody portion :for receiving a plurality of molds, and a cover portion adapted to be secured to said body portion, one oi" said portions being provided with an annular channel in restricted communication With the interior ot the apparatus, and said annular channel being adapted to be supplied With fluid whereby steam or Water may be distributively supplied to the interior of the apparatus through a single pipe.

2. A vulcanizing press consisting of a shell, a ring secured to the shell at one end thereof, a cover adapted to be secured to the ring, and a platen operable Within the shell for clamping a plurality o1c molds against the secured cover, said ring being provided with an annular passage in restricted communication With the interior oi the press at a plurality of points about its inner circumference, and a conduit `t'or supplying fluid to said annular passage for distributive introduction into the press from all sides.

3. A vulcanizing press having an upright shell, an annular ring fixed to the upper end of said shell, a cover detachably securable to said ring, a platen operable Within the shell for clamping a plurality of molds between itself and the cover, said ring being provided with an annular channel, and a baille-ring largely closing` the annular channel and defining With an adjacent portion of' the cover a header whereby to insure steam or Water supplied to the header flowing into the interior of the press from all sides.

4l. A. vulcanizing press having an upright shell, an annular ring fixed to the upper end of said shell, a cover detachably securable to said ring, a platen operable Within the shell for clamping a plurality of molds between itself and the cover, said ring being provided with an annular channel, and a port in communication With said channel, a baille-ring restricting communication be tween the annular channel and the interior ot the press, and means on the baffle-ring adjacent the port for insuring circulation of fluid around the annular channel.

5. A. mold treating vulcanizer having a single admission port, and a header in com munication with said port and of a girth greater than the molds to be treated for permitting fluid supplied through said port thereto to be introduced into the interior of the heater from all sides.

Signed at Detroit, county of Vlayne, State of Michigan, this 21st day of February, 1922. v

- ROBERT N. VAN BUSKRK. 

